“Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.”

The past couple of devotions have focused on embezzlers, liars, cheats, and those who generally just want to drag others down. There’s no doubt Solomon directs much of his attention toward identifying these people, showing the results of their choices, and warning us to avoid them. In this verse, he again mentions those who devise wicked schemes—another group to steer clear of. But for just a few sentences, I want to focus on “good people.” Personally, I love the simplicity of those two words. They don’t elevate the most valuable players, the award winners at company meetings, or the gold, silver, and bronze medal recipients. Those honors are fine recognition of achievement, but “good people” carries a higher kind of praise—and it’s open to everyone. Whether we are the fastest or the slowest, the most talented or just of average skill, we can all be good people. The world needs more good people, and it needs those who are good people to live and shine that way. In this passage, the Hebrew word for “good people” is tov. This term implies moral goodness, kindness, and a desire to please God. Not a bad message on a tombstone or a life. My life theme is “Love God, be kind.” Tov sums it up well. Today, be a good person. #BeTheEdge

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 NIV